One of the smelliest saltwater fish!

Sardines, Iwashi in Japanese, are one of the smelliest fish around.  While they may not be as smelly as herrings, they are smelly enough to stink out a house before and even after cooking! Iwashi / Sardines are quite popular in Japan, despite their smell. Overall, I find that smell of a food does little to deter consumption in Japan. Although in recent years you may get branded for "sumehara", smell harassment, if you cook strong smelling food in the proximity of others!

So why am I talking about sardines!? Well, today and October 4th annually, is Sardine Day, Iwashi no Hi イワシの日. The date is a pun on the reading of 10/4,  "i (1) wa (0) shi (4)". The purpose of the day is to promote sardines. Especially as they are cheap, delicious, and rich in nutrients and have been popular fish with the masses since the Edo period.  They are very versatile too as they can be eaten grilled, boiled, dried or added to dishes such as fish soup.

Do you eat sardines? Tinned sardines are quite common in my home country (Ireland), but I had never seen anyone eating them whole until I came to Japan. We have sardines at home in Japan from time to time, but we are more likely to eat it outside the home, to prevent stinking up the house! It is quite common to find a  street vendor in a tourist area peddling grilled "iwashi" sardines.